OXFORD, Ala. – With just one out and the bases loaded, the Stillman College softball team had to make a play defensively to preserve a 3-2 win over Talladega College. The defense did just that by turning a double play and walking away with the HBCU Athletic Conference victory Monday afternoon at Choccolocco Park. 

In the faithful seventh inning, Jazzmin Bibbens stepped to the plate with bases loaded and battled with Faith Byram, who came to relieve Mackenzie Smith. When Smith put the ball in play, Lauren Haskins picked it up and tossed the ball to Katelyn Lankford for the first out, and she, in turn, threw it to Avary Lumpkin at first to complete the crucial double play for the win. 

Smith pitched six innings with three strikeouts to move to 2-0 on the season, while Byram earned her first save of the season by collecting the final three outs. 

Lankford, who helped make the clutch defensive play, started the offense in the fourth for the Lady Tigers with an RBI-single to center field to score Ariana Lopez. 

In the fifth, Lily Stone sacrificed her at-bat to help Haskins speed in from third to move to a 2-0 lead. 

Lankford made another key play in the sixth with a triple to right-center field to being Alex Erwin in, which gave Stillman an important 3-0 lead. 

Talladega responded in the bottom of the sixth with Mia Vazquez scoring on a wild pitch. Then, in the seventh, Vazquez hit an RBI-single to the pitcher as Georgia Wagner-Stiles scored to set up the dramatic finish. 

Lankford finished 2-for-3 at the plate with two RBIs and a triple. Haskins and Madison Buble went 2-for-4, and Haskins smashed her fourth triple of the series. Erwin went a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate with a walk. 

Stillman College returns to action Wednesday at home against the Dillard University Bleu Devils for a non-conference doubleheader scheduled for 2 p.m.